Australia’s metastatic breast cancer count takes centre stage at world’s leading breast cancer conference

For the first time, Australia’s landmark estimate of people living with metastatic breast cancer was presented on an international stage, and it sparked exactly the conversation we had hoped for. 
 
In 2025, Breast Cancer Network Australia led the advocacy that produced Australia’s first official estimate of the number of Australians living with metastatic breast cancer – 20,950. This was a landmark moment and was double what previous estimates had suggested. 
 
Recently, we took that to the world. 

BCNA’s approach to counting the number of people with metastatic breast cancer

BCNA’s Director of Policy and Advocacy, Vicki Durston, presented a poster at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) held in Berlin at the start of May. ESMO is one of the world’s most important international gatherings of researchers, health professionals, leaders and breast cancer consumer organisations.  

Knowing the number of people living with metastatic breast cancer matters. It means that decision makers can plan accordingly to ensure the health system can accommodate the treatment and support that people living with metastatic breast cancer need, regardless of where they live.

Vicki shared BCNA’s approach, which drew on administrative health data to capture people living with metastatic disease rather than only new diagnoses. The BCNA poster presentation also highlighted the outcomes for different jurisdictions in knowing the number of people living with MBC in their state or territory. This attracted significant international attention at ESMO, and the hope is that other countries can use Australia’s approach in calculating their own estimates.

Presenting this work internationally isn’t just about sharing data across borders – it’s about ensuring the lived experience of Australians with metastatic breast cancer is visible and taken into consideration for global decision making. This means that metastatic breast cancer shifts from an “invisible” disease to one that is clearly recognised in health systems worldwide.

For Australians living with metastatic breast cancer, being recognised is a significant step. With advances in treatment, we know that those with metastatic breast cancer are living longer, yet their unique needs are unmet by the health system.

Until this estimate, we had a gap in meaningful information – this data is the missing link between better health outcomes and quality of life for those living with metastatic breast cancer.

About the ESMO Conference

ESMO 2026 was a three-day conference that reinforced just how rapidly breast cancer treatment is evolving. Across sessions, posters and conversations with leading minds, the message was clear and consistent: care is becoming more personalised, more biologically driven and more complex – health systems supporting patients must keep pace.

Key themes from ESMO included the rapid expansion of antibody drug conjugates (ADC), the growing role of liquid biopsy and genomic testing and the increasing importance of biomarkers in guiding treatment decisions. There was also a strong and repeated discussion about the gap between what science can offer and what patients can actually access – through reimbursement, affordability, and equitable implementation.

For Australians living with breast cancer, this gap is not theoretical – it shows up in real decisions about whether a treatment is available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), whether a test is accessible in the public system, and whether someone can access the most appropriate therapy based on their tumour biology. International conferences like ESMO are critical because they directly inform advocacy in Australia, helping organisations like BCNA push for faster, fairer access to evidence-based care.

In this way, global research and policy discussions translate into very practical outcomes: better-informed policy decisions, improved access to treatments, and ultimately more equitable care for Australians living with breast cancer.
 
Download BCNA's ESMO poster presentation